but on january 20th, he'll face a stagnant economy and a fiscal mess. you might even say he'll inherit these problems. >> reporter: there's a lot of bah humbug in washington, d.c. these days. 'tis the season to be surly. the president told bloomberg television that without tax rates going up on the wealthiest americans, there will be no deal to avert going over the fiscal cliff. >> we're going to have to see the rates on the top 2% go up. and we're not going to be able to get a deal without it. >> reporter: house republicans are adamant, no tax rate increases. >> we're willing to put revenues on the table. revenues that come from closing loopholes, getting rid of special interest deductions and not raising rates. >> reporter: but what the republicans are offering sounds a lot like what the president wanted during last year's budget showdown. >> give us $1.2 trillion in additional revenues, which could be accomplished without hiking tax rates by eliminating loopholes, eliminating some deductions. >> reporter: today, however, the president says those move